Review: 360 Vodka

To my recollection, I have never talked about alcohol on this blog before. I don’t know why. I just haven’t. But even in a family cooking blog, alcohol can have its place. That’s why I said a quick yes when 360 Vodka asked if I would like to try their product. Of course I would. Vodka is fantastic in adult-time drinks for warm spring and summer nights.

360 Vodka is an environmentally friendly vodka that is four times distilled and five times filtered. The environmentally friendly aspect comes with its manufacturing. The bottle is made of 85 percent recycled glass, 70 percent of which was post-consumer waste glass. It has a 100 percent post-consumer waste paper label and comes in a 100 percent recycled cardboard shipping box. It also comes with a label that details its environmental impact.

How do I know all that? The company also sent along a comprehensive press kit. I have to say that it’s among the best press kits I have ever received. It is chock full of facts, quotes and came with a nifty little card that can be planted to grow flowers. Better yet, it’s all printed on 100% Post-Consumer Waste Paper too, keeping with the mission of 360 Vodka.

I tasted the 360 Vodka and found it to be smooth and clean. I’d almost call it a pleasurable experience. However, I am not in the business of sipping vodka so I figured I would test it in something more natural to me. The real test: mixing it with a mixer (chocolate peppermint). How was it? Really good . . . The vodka complimented the flavor nicely, which is always a good thing.

For the balance of the bottle, I set about making some vanilla extract. In a few weeks, it will be ready. Some of my long time readers might remember this post from last October. I had seen a pictorial of making vanilla extract at home and was inspired to do it myself. I ordered the beans and was all set . . . except I was very pregnant and didn’t get to that before the baby came. So the project waited, and waited, and waited . . . until now. But don’t worry, more on that later. This is about the 360 Vodka.

What I love: 360 Vodka is environmentally-conscious. It blends well into drinks.

What I didn’t love: I wish 360 Vodka would have sent the press kit and the vodka together so that there would only need to be one Fed-Ex run to my house instead of two (they arrived a day apart).

Would I buy it? Yes. It’s smooth. It’s a good mixer. And it’s environmentally friendly, What more could you ask for?

*Note* 360 Vodka is not organic, but the company has a good reason for that.

According to a spokeswoman:

McCormick Distilling went through a lengthy process to decide the organic grain issue after coming up with the idea for an eco-friendly vodka.

What they discovered is that organic grains are not available near the McCormick facility, so the truck’s emissions and costs involved in transportation would have been considerable. Instead, they decide to use locally grown grains (from farms in northeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri). As a result, McCormick is able to support local farmers and minimize fossil fuel emissions.

Another reason they chose to go with locally grown grains is that organic grain farming yields smaller crops, so with the volume of supply needed to make distilled spirits, the costs would have been prohibitive (both in the production process and, ultimately, for the consumer).